Andrew Pridham will not be accepting any peace offering from Eddie McGuire, who escalated the feud between Sydney and Collingwood by labelling the Swans: "The greatest protectors of their self-interest of any organisation that god's put breath into.''

Two days after likening McGuire to Clive Palmer, the Swans chairman is showing no signs of waving the white flag, on Monday accusing the long-serving Collingwood president of having a conflict of interest through his dual roles as a football administrator and media personality. He also believes McGuire has too much power in the AFL.

Life and times of Eddie McGuire

The war of words was triggered by McGuire describing John Longmire as "petty" last week for refusing a coaching role with the international rules team. But the relationship between the clubs has been strained since McGuire's racial slur on Adam Goodes last year.

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Pridham said McGuire had been "constantly talking the game down" with his recent comments and lambasted him for "demeaning" his club and the competition.

McGuire used his radio program on Melbourne's Triple M on Monday morning to say the Swans had "no interest whatsoever in developing the game" and as a result had resorted to "cheque book recruiting''.

He said Sydney, which has signed Kurt Tippett and Lance Franklin to multimillion-dollar deals in the past two seasons, "haven't developed anything" in Sydney.

"They've let blokes march out of the joint because they had no interest, because they opened the cheque book up and go after everyone," McGuire said.

"They've been doing it since Gerard Healy went up there [at the end of 1985]. They are the greatest protectors of their self-interest of any organisation that god's put breath into.''

McGuire facetiously told the Swans to "get stuffed", and on his Fox Footy program on Sunday night accused them of being overly sensitive, and described the now scrapped cost of living allowance as the "greatest rort of all time".

Pridham said those remarks demonstrated McGuire did not know "how to distinguish the line between Collingwood president and being in the media".

"That's something that's apparent to everybody," he said. "The lines are so blurred and he's had so much to say, which is generally negative, I think it's not right, and other clubs think the same thing."

Pridham said he had received messages from three rival club presidents supporting his stance against McGuire.

He rejected McGuire's assertion Sydney had let NSW product Lenny Hayes slip in the 1998 draft. Instead the Swans secured Jude Bolton, who retired last year after 325 games and two flags, three choices earlier.

Pridham also said McGuire was ''factually incorrect'' to claim the Swans had not voted for the creation of Greater Western Sydney.

He said he had no axe to grind personally with McGuire but did not approve of his attacks on rival clubs.

"If you look at it, he's constantly talking the game down. He's had a go at Geelong, Gold Coast, GWS, us. He's called players spud, he's had a go at the WA Football Commission ... he's had a go at the AFL for having Collingwood play on a Sunday afternoon in the wet," Pridham said.

"I have nothing against Eddie, what I have objection to is when he gets away with saying things that aren't true and they become law.

"I just have objections to him demeaning the Sydney Swans and the competition generally. His commentary, I mean that in a broad sense, is so often negative.

"I've got no problem with him defending Collingwood, but I don't think that means you have to attack other people."

McGuire said on Sunday it was time for him to "have a cup of coffee with a few blokes [in Sydney]'' in order to calm the waters, but Pridham was more interested in action.

"There's no point having coffees or beers, or martinis or anything if it's just words and the behaviours don't stop," he said.

"History between Eddie and [former Sydney chairman] Richard Colless would suggest that hasn't occurred for a long time.

"Through his media he starts it, makes the comments, we respond then he turns around and says we're attacking him. Don't attack us and we won't even talk about you."

44 comments so far

You're almost in China now Eddie. Time to stop digging... In a battle of wits, you are totally outgunned.

Commenter

Over It

Location

Fortess SCG

Date and time

July 14, 2014, 8:27PM

I support Eddie on this one. The AFL has built it's own Frankenstein monster when it comes to Sydney, Years of favorable draws, compliant umpiring, and juicy salary cap allowances have been put in place to ensure Sydney never, ever falls from grace and loses relevance in the Sydney market. But now they are like the spoiled brat grown up, still thinking the world revolves around them. They are the Paris Hilton of the AFL.And 7 years from now, watch them come cap in hand to the AFL, saying the Buddy Franklin deal was a good idea at the time, but he's no longer playing, and can we have some salary cap relief to continue paying him more than $1M a year.

Commenter

tedx

Date and time

July 15, 2014, 4:11AM

I would like to repeat what I said yesterday - about this issue.I admit that at first I did have my doubts, but not now - I am talking about Buddy coming to the Swans. This move has been good on so many levels: (i) It has provided Eddie with more fuel for his COLA grizzles. How wonderful is that - surely this is something we can all celebrate?(ii) It has given the Swans their very own 'Fab Four' - take a bow 'Tippo', Buddy, Sam Reid and Goodsey. (iii) It has provided the opportunity for Buddy to show that he is both an exceptional athlete and a nice (ordinary and friendly) bloke.(iv) It has given Swans fans a 'Super Hero' - and something very Sydney.(v) It gets more of us to the SCG than went last year - and membership numbers are growing (now, I think 39,000).(vi) We are talking AFL and Swans much more than has previously been the case.

Commenter

Howe Synnott

Location

Sydney

Date and time

July 15, 2014, 6:56AM

not sure who this pridham guy is, but if he could actually do something constructive like have his club turn a profit without AFL largesse I might actually spend some time finding out about him.

It is easy to throw the big bombs when someone else is paying for them.

Go on - cut the AFL apron strings I dare you

Commenter

Gaz

Location

Yarrawonga

Date and time

July 15, 2014, 7:43AM

Cheer, Cheer the red and the white,Rigging the draft by day and by night,Raise that noble cap so high,So we can find someone else to buy!What for the sods sook great or small,Franklin is quick and Tippet is tall!And the mighty pies are struggling,good luck to poor Eddie

Commenter

Corbachov

Date and time

July 15, 2014, 9:13AM

Eddie Maguire is an over-exposed big mouthed fool who very few in the AFL would respect, including most footy supporters. He never played the game, yet is totally over-exposed and more often than not, an embarrassment to the game. He often contradicts legendary ex-players when hosting on Foxtel which is incredible, to say the least! I'd love to see Michael Voss or David King knock him down a peg or 3 sometime. Now that would be worth watching! Seems Eddie can't accept that Sydney are a far better run club than his cold Pies as results speak louder than words. Where it counts most, on the field, well, take a look at the ladder, Eddie. Time for you to swallow some humble pie, Eddie, but by the looks of it make sure it's of the low fat variety. The Clive Palmer comparison is really quite accurate in more ways than one it seems...

Commenter

In the Bloods

Location

Lake Oval

Date and time

July 15, 2014, 10:03AM

That'll never happen, he's all about the spotlight and hearing his own name mentioned for any reason. He'd surely have mirrored tiles on his bedroom ceiling wouldn't he?????

Commenter

Ross

Location

Sydney

Date and time

July 14, 2014, 8:42PM

I would love to put a Sydney Swans sticker on the back of Eddies car - I reckon he's so wound up, it would just tip him over the edge!! Would be a fantastic tanty to watch...he must be a barrel of laughs at the dinner table!

Commenter

Pablo

Location

Bay 31 SCG

Date and time

July 14, 2014, 9:56PM

I bet Eddie is a far more genial, amusing and charitable fellow that Colless or Pridham are.

Commenter

Brendan

Location

Forest Hill

Date and time

July 15, 2014, 8:11AM

Surely someone has a Swans Sticker down there in Melbourne they can put on the back of old Eds Limo when he parks it somewhere??.....That would be an absolute Pearler to watch his expression and head turn like a Beetroot on heat.